Signing Ceremony Celebrates Two Senior Athletes Committed to College Sports

I have had the honor and privilege to be one of the coaches to help these girls in their development over the years. You have both poured a great deal of time and energy into your sport and we are all excited for you.

Elsie’s field hockey journey began nine years ago on a U-10 team with the Potomac Field Hockey Club, where she had the opportunity to be coached by her dad. She moved to the Loudoun County League where she then got the opportunity to play with her sister Morgan, a goalie! This is a field hockey family. Elsie then played for the Metro Hockey Club for several years. She was also a part of the USA Field Hockey Futures program from 2018 to 2020.  

When Elsie arrived at Foxcroft, she was feisty, athletic, and determined and we quickly saw her potential. By the end of her first season playing, she had solidified her position on the team as a tough, hard-working defender. She is one of those players every coach dreams about, constantly working to get better, critiquing her own performance, and asking questions — always wanting more. All of this furthered her development as the backbone of our defense.

As her coach here at Foxcroft, I have been thrilled to watch her grow from a freshman player to a senior captain who is now headed to play field hockey at Gettysburg College. Her intensity on the pitch is epic; she has the ability to make big plays and create momentum. She is hardworking and determined, never giving up, wanting to master this sport. Not only has Elsie’s skill increased tremendously but her work ethic and commitment to being the very best she can be has been inspiring to witness. 

Elsie is as thoughtful about field hockey as she is about her studies, about helping others through service organizations, about Model UN, and about being the Hound manager. She is a true student of the game, always wanting to get better and wanting others to achieve success as well. 

Julia began her career in lacrosse at the age of 12 as a member of the Intrepid Lacrosse Clubs of Pittsburgh and North-Central West Virginia, as well as the Morgantown MoHawks Lacrosse Club. She then came to Foxcroft where she continued as part of our program and wow are we ever going to miss having Julia be the anchor of our defense — in lacrosse as well as field hockey! 

As Coach Moan says, "Goalies are a bit of a different breed — it’s a very individualized position within the framework of a team sport. Their stats are posted for everyone to see — goals against, saves — so everyone at the game knows if you are having a good day or a bad day. It's a position for those who not only can handle that kind of pressure but thrive in that pressure. All who have played on a lacrosse or field hockey team with Julia will join in being thankful that Julia rises to this challenge and thrives under the pressure."  

As a lefty lacrosse goalie, Julia is a very unique player. Over the course of her four years, she has focused on perfecting her technique in the goal. Perhaps a bit unorthodox when she started at Foxcroft, she has grown and developed into a solid, technically sound goalie, who can actually feel when her technique is not its best. There are times that even if she makes a save, she'll tell herself to correct that step or make a better move to the ball. This is what every coach dreams about! This kind of accurate self-assessment, coupled with Julia's dedication to improvement and ability to thrive under the pressure of the position, makes Julia a goalie with no limits on how good she can become. That's Julia as a goalie and as an individual.

Julia plays a team sport, and we all know how Julia is as a team player — be it an athletic team, a dorm team, the Hound team, a group project in class, a theater production, or as a member of one of the many, many clubs and organizations she is involved with here at Foxcroft. She performs her part to the very best of her ability and genuinely cares about others on her team. She helps to bring out the best in others, and she makes any team better with her own dedication, her high standards and expectations, her enthusiasm, her sense of humor, and her willingness to do what's necessary for the group.

A fun fact about Elsie and Julia — they represent the last players who can recall playing games on the old lower field, then playing “home” games for field hockey at Evergreen for most of 2018, and finally christening the Turf field for the Conference playoffs.

Julia and Elsie – you have been an integral part of the Foxcroft athletic program for many years now. Thank you for your devotion to the sport you each love.  

We will miss you both! Congratulations!